What happens when you forget
by cactipresident
Summary: a sequel to accepting was harder than admitting. Phantom was just an average ghost. You know with a fear of other ghost, his own corpse he could change into at will, no obsession and he hasn't left his mentors home since he'd been formed. That's normal, right?
1. Chapter 1

_**I was swayed by a few comments and myself to write a sequel, actually it's own thing now instead of another chapter. So this is a sequel to accepting was harder than admitting and set about 5 years after the last chapter.**_

_**disclaimer: i do not own Danny phantom or any of it's characters**_

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His name was Danny Fenton.

He used to a hero to earth. Whether they wanted him or not they needed him, a living boy with ghostly power. He used to be pure and innocent in almost every sense till it was ripped from him by a cruel twist in fate. Danny had found out the hard way that accepting was sometimes harder than admitting. Though it wasn't like he remembered any of this.

His name was now Phantom.

Or that was what his mentor, Clockwork, has told him his name was.

Phantom was formed five years ago at a weird funeral being held in the Ghost Zone. All he can remember was being upset for making people worry and cry. He had no idea why though being they  
weren't there for him and he didn't know a single one of them.

Since then Phantom has been forbidden from entering the Ghost Zone, and in all honesty he wasn't too inclined to go anyway. The observents keep telling him of all the horrors that lay beyond the tower he had grown accustomed to. They always tell him of the evil Ghosts that roamed the Ghost Zone that would love to keep him because he's special.

"But aren't you keeping me because I'm special?" Phantom one day asked, curiosity getting to him because he looked out on one of the balconies and all he saw was beautiful swirling green colors. He was drawn to them but stopped himself before he left the safety of the only home he has ever known. The Ghost Zone didn't look all that scary it looked big and inviting.

The observents seemed to glare at Phantom somehow with only one eye. They ignored his question and left to go back to their council leaving Phantom even more confused than before. For a few hours after the young ghost wandered around the big tower thinking about what if the observents really were only keeping him there for personal gain before he found Clockwork and asked the same question he had asked the two future seeing beings.

Clockwork, instead of disappearing, had sat Phantom down and explained why they were indeed keeping him because he was special.

"Phantom, I believe the idiots have told you about all the evil that is past my tower doors. They are both right and wrong. I have seen you being kidnapped and stripped of everything that you are and I have seen you find happiness and everything you could ever want and everything in between the two. I cannot guarantee what you will find out of those doors but you must know. The timelines where you are stolen and terrible things happen are more common than the others. You are very special Phantom. No other Ghost has their own body to use. But the observents will try to use for personal gain soon enough. Do not let them, my Phantom." Clockwork added with stress even though his voice remained as clam as ever, his body changing to that of a child.

Phantom only nodded. What else could he say? Clockwork and the observents were all he knew and if he couldn't trust the observents that only left Clockwork.

The elder ghost sighed internally, knowing he was too young and too newly formed to truly understand. " Phantom, would you like to learn?" They both knew what he meant. Phantom had been begging for a month for Clockwork to let him help. He was tired of doing nothing all day in the tower. Clockwork had learned fairly early on that he had no obsession to fill his days.

That was the first day he began teaching Phantom about how to use his viewing mirrors and the proper way to fix time like he did.

That was three years ago.

" Clockwork, they're coming!"

The now elderly man seemed to ignore the voice calling, though they both knew he heard him and acknowledged him. "6 minutes ahead this time." He mumbled to himself, proud of his apprentice for getting better with his timing.

Exactly 6 minutes later, two observents appeared each looking more cross than the last. A hard feat to do when you were only an eye.

"Clockwork!" One of them boomed to the ghost of time. Clockwork just looked up at them, waiting for them to finish. This could either take a few minutes or an hour depending on how he played his cards. It always went faster the quieter he was. That didn't always worked being how moronic they could be. It was so hard to hold your tongue when you know they're wrong. "Where is the boy, Phantom?" They demanded. Clockwork had been trying to hide him from them. It came to the time where they wanted to use him in the human world.

The time ghost and the young ghost both knew this so they'd begun a sort of game of fooling the observents. Phantom learned other ghosts couldn't sense him and used that to his advantage.

"He's in the tower, Clockwork!" The second put in, their stories of evil had stuck with the boy after all these years, "Let us know where he is!"

Clockwork rolled his eyes at his 'superiors'. They always came in demanding whatever they wanted like they owned his lair. It was disrespectful and he had half a mind to crush them. But he was under their 'employment'.

"I don't think you are in a position to demand things in my home. You cannot make Phantom do what you wish. And it seems he wishes to hide from you." He didn't even bother hiding his smirk at their lack of abilities in his lair. One of the perks of making your own versus finding one like most Ghosts did. His smirk flattered though as he realized who was on his way to his home. He was earlier then usually in the timelines, meaning e needed these 'superiors' out now.

"Come back tomorrow." Clockwork calmly said though internally he was processing a thousand things. He turned his back on the floating council members, opting instead to look in one of his viewing mirrors and changing into the form of a child. "If you cannot find him then you don't deserve him at that time."

Both observents puffed up their chests, but left knowing a dismissal when they heard one even though the time ghost was below them. Soon after they left, Phantom come floating in using his human corpse form. Though it has been five years, the body showed no sign of decay; the ectoplasam most likely keeping it in a locked state. He still had a white bandage wrapped around his middle hiding the gaping hole that Clockwork knew his parents caused while he just thought it was part of his 'look'.

" Gods, I hate when they show up." Phantom complained, voicing his mentors thoughts and they both knew it. But now was not the time, Clockwork had to hide Phantom as well for his new guest. He had no idea who was coming, thank the gods, because they only practiced on timing when the observents came to visit and they did that a lot.

"Phantom, I need you to hide again. Someone is coming and they can't see you" Clockwork nearly flinched at having to plague on his students fears to keep him hidden. The pale boy's eye grew wide in fear and he looked like he was going to flea at the very second. The elder ghost could sometimes kill the observents for messing with his charge's impressionable mind at such a young form age. Had they not he wouldn't have this irrational fear of everything that came from outside the walls.

"Oh a guest, that's cool. I need to uhm, clean the floors on the tenth level anyway. Forgot to do that last week." With that, he zoomed past Clockwork through the walls still using his human from that could pass through the things to get as far as possible.

As soon as he left, The now adult form ghost heard a knock on the door . With a slight sigh he made his way to the door, opening them and looking down at his charge's other half.

" Hello Vlad Plasmius."


	2. The Visitors

**I reread the first chapter and cringed. This is why you shouldn't write at 3 in the morning and when you're about to pass out any second.**

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"Hello Vlad Plasmius."

The Halfa choose his human side for this meeting. Not a good sign. All the possible scenarios for this visit narrowed down and played out in his head within a second.

The past five years haven't been kind to the living Halfa. Bags hung under his eyes, a testament to how many sleepless nights he'd had. His usually impeccably clean suit was wrinkled and a mess as if he had been wearing it for the past few days. He looked thinner and weaker then he used. He looked up at the Time Ghost, his eyes conveying everything.

Clockwork moved from the doorway, letting the billionaire into his tower. Vlad nearly stumbled in but regained some of his composure as he straightens himself and walked in the room. The entire room was filled with clocks, each ticking at a different time. It amazed Vlad that anyone could live with that without shooting something or someone. Between some clocks were mirror like objects. Instead of a reverse image of the room the mirror played out different timelines and different times. In a few scenes with a younger, more alive Phantom played out on them making Vlad's heart clench in pain. He almost left then and there but he needed to ask him. He needed to know, this was his last chance at fixing everything.

"Clockwork, I need your help."

"It cannot be done." He simply stated, knowing immediately what he was asking for. The Halfa's face fell like he knew this was going to happen. Clockwork had been his last ditch effort. He had exhausted all other resources in his goal to bring back all that he'd lost. He had hoped Clockwork would have helped him like he helped Daniel but he supposed with the ghost essentially being the younger Halfa's guardian he had a soft spot for him. But why wouldn't he help him then knowing his goal?

If only Vlad knew.

"Come with me" Clockwork floated through a doorway, not bothering to check if Vlad actually did as he commanded. "Danny told you about me." Though it was a statement, Masters nodded from behind him. "Young Fenton also had a problem with changing the past. He told you about the time he went back in time and changed the course of history making it so you married Maddie though that wasn't his intention." This time he looked over his shoulder at the offending ghost, causing Vlad to wince as he recounted how horrible he used to be to the younger of his species.

As Vlad painfully reminisced, they finally got to the room in the tower Clockwork used the most and was most fond of, His time room.

This room looked like the inside of a giant clock. The gears moved all around them as Clockwork continued to lead him to the only thing in the room. It was a giant viewing mirror, about twice the size of Clockwork's now childlike head. "He caused himself to stop existing, made you marry Madeline , and Jack Fenton become a Halfa like you. Who knows what will happen when you go back and stop the tragedy that happened." He turned around and faced Vlad who stood there, staring at the crystal ball like object.

The time ghost nearly sighed, if only he could help the grief stricken man but Phantom's death was a fixed point, it had happened in every timeline he existed in. Always when he was 16 whether it was by Vlad himself, his parents, or GIW. It always happened. Clockwork spent a day looking though different timelines where he lived past his 17th birthday but never found none. It broke his core when he found out a year before Phantom's death and broke it all over again as he watched the event which lead to his death unfold.

"Why can't you help?" Vlad's weak voice broke through the now adult looking ghost's thoughts, "I thought you actually cared for Daniel"

Clockwork fixed a cold glare on Vlad, his red eyes narrowed and showing the first real emotion he had all day. "Don't you dare ever suggest I don't care for Phantom" Vlad nearly rebutted but his head fell and he started to shake. Clockwork would have kicked himself. He referred to Danny as Phantom and in present tense. If Vlad wasn't so distraught he would have picked up on the small verbal clues.

"I just wanted him back"

"We all do, Plasmius." Clockwork said, a hint of guilt coloring his voice. He nearly brought Phantom to the living Halfa but he knew it would only crush him more seeing his once friend and companion not remember a single thing about him or anyone else.

Vlad briefly looked up at the time ghost before turning to leave.

" Plasmius. I can show you him if you want. Show you how much happier he was when you made the silent truce."

Vlad froze and turned around to stare at Clockwork, wondering if he heard him right. "You'd…You'd let me?" Disbelief coloring his voice.

Clockwork wasn't sure himself, a mental battle waging in his head going over all the possible scenarios that could happen if he let this go on. Eventually he decided the good outweighed the bad and he nodded to the nearly broken man.

Clockwork waved his staff over the mirror, Danny's life now playing out on it. Vlad stood there staring at the scenes playing out, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He decided to leave the Halfa alone and walked out, silently closing the doors behind him. In an hour or two he would be done and ready to go home.

Vlad was taking longer than he should have, all of the members in the specter speeder decided. Jasmine was the first to mention it the first half hour he was gone. Sam and tucker told her she was paranoid. They figured the ghost zone was making her nervous being the last time she was in it was 5 years ago. Tucker and Sam had been in it for a majority of the five years, looking for Danny hoping against hope he was a ghost even if they were obsessed about one thing and followed said one thing like it was their life line. They just wanted their friend back in any way they could.

Vlad found them a week ago floating somewhere beyond Pariah's castle, asking what they knew about Clockwork. They told him about the other Danny, Dan and tried to tell him that meddling with time was dangerous and he was off helping them. Besides looking for Danny, they acted as a sort of ambassadors for the ghost zone, trying to teach people that it wasn't scary and was actually just a place for the Ghosts to reside.

Within the last few years, Maddie and Jack had moved to another state the house being too painful for them to live in so Tucker and Sam bought it and were now living in it.

After the second hour, Sam realized Jazz was right. He was gone far too long to just be asking Clockwork if he could bring Danny back. She honestly didn't know why he wouldn't let them come with him. They knew Clockwork better than he did and he might be a little nicer if it was them.

It took another silent half hour for the three now adults to land the Specter speeder on the ground outside the tower by one of the gears before climbing out to try to find out what happened.

"Come on Tuck." Sam shouted from outside the Speeder. Tucker had somehow lost his iphone in it during the four hours they were stuck in it. She heard rummaging around in it till the similar face poked itself out. Tucker no longer wore the beret he used to, instead opting just to go hatless instead. He still wore glasses which he used to glare at the dark haired girl outside. His glasses themselves were a computer that he designed himself and Google was trying desperately to replicate.

"Look Sammy," He added mockingly, knowing full well it would piss her off, I have no idea where it could have gone. Even with all the modifications on this rust bucket, the speeder just isn't that big of a place to lose shit."

Sam's once short hair was now longer and in a low pony tail. She no longer considered herself a Goth but still wore some black, few colors actually in her wardrobe. Old habits die hard. She was no longer an ultra vegan recycling freak, but she was a vegetarian and thoroughly disgusted when she watched her friend eat a pig like a pig. Her purple eyes glared at the dark skinned man he re-disappeared into the vehicle.

"Maybe you should actually keep track of your things then" She retorted back, clearly pissed like tucker wanted. Just because they were together doesn't mean he gets to be a complete dick about it. She heard a grunt from the speeder again, but ignored it turning to the older woman who stood a few feet from her and up at the tower.

"Hey, jazz. You okay?" Sam questioned as Tucker poked his head out again now looking toward the adult as well. He looked back at Sam who shrugged. Jasmine eventually heard them, turning around and giving them an uneasy smile.

"What? Oh yea, I'm fine I just thought I saw someone." She looked behind her at one of the many balconies before looking at her friends. "Must be seeing things" She nervously laughed not at all putting the two at ease like she wanted.

The two exchanged another look after tucker climbed out of the speeder finally finding his phone. It was in his pocket the entire time.

"You ready to go then?" Sam asked, walking towards the older girl and laying a hand on her shoulder. She looked at sam and gave a more reassuring smile still slightly freaked out by what she thought she saw.

From the balcony Jazz was referring to sat Phantom who was now hiding after he noticed the female saw him. He was excited, confused and above all else scared. They looked just like he did when he changed and he wanted to know why. He never saw or heard of a ghost that looked like him and it excited him. The girl seemed upset though when she saw him like he was something to be afraid of. He wasn't something to be afraid of. Maybe if he went down to see her she'll realize that. But it also meant going down stairs. What if they were evil like the observents said?

He peered over the railing again and saw now three of them instead of two walking towards the front door of his home. He mentally battled with himself over what to do.

Eventually curiosity got the better of him as he turned invisible so they wouldn't see him and into his corpse before floating down the few floors to see what exactly they were and what they wanted with his mentor

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**Well that might not go too well. I wonder what the trio's reaction will be if they see Phantom? And what's taking Vlad so long?**


End file.
